Match Report |
Wrexham slumped to their sixth league
defeat in seven games with another disappointing showing at Filed Mill.
Wrexham looked comfortable until the first goal went in after 21 minutes
but after this, they never looked like getting back into the game, even
failing to register a shot on target all afternoon.
Wrexham made two changes from midweek with Darren Ferguson and Lee Roche
back in the side at the expense of Matt Crowell and the rather unlucky
Mike Williams.
Wrexham started off the brighter and had the first opportunity of the
game but Matty Done was unavailable to get on the end of Josh Joshnson’s
cross to the far post. This proved to be the only noticeable chance from
both sides in a rather quiet opening twenty minutes to the game.
This all changed within a minute when the Wrexham defence was cut open
following a simple throw in down the Wrexham left. From this, Hamshaw
got the better of Steve Evans and his pass was weighted perfectly for
top scorer Richard Barker to run onto and round Ingham before slotting
the ball into the empty net.
It should have been two minutes later when Gareth Jellyman found himself
clean through on goal after Lee Roche played him onside by failing to
move out with his defence. Thankfully for Wrexham, Jellyman failed to
get the ball under control and this allowed the Wrexham defence to get
back to clear the danger.
Wrexham were now struggling and Hamshaw got the better of Valentine and
delivered a right wing cross that cut out the Wrexham defence and Ingham
had to palm away with a Mansfield striker firing the high into the
Wrexham fans behind that goal.
Mansfield were not to be denied the second and this came after 36
minutes when Richard Barker again on target. This time it was a simple
high ball played down the right channel by Sheenan that was not dealt
with by Craig Morgan and this allowed Barker to have a route on goal.
Barker again rounded Ingham and although the Wrexham keeper got a touch
on the ball, Barker made no mistake as he rolled the ball into the net
on his left foot.
Wrexham again lost the services of Lee Roche to injury with Mike
Williams replacing the right back and this resulted Valentine switching
to the opposite flank.
Josh Johnson delivered another good cross to the far post but Done was
again out muscled in the challenge with many Wrexham fans left shaking
their heads, wondering who was capable of getting the goal required to
get Wrexham back in the game.
Wrexham did have a glimmer of hope in first half injury time following a
rare attack. Danny Williams picked out Mark Jones free on the edge of
the area and a good turn by Jones allowed him to set up Llewellyn but
his shot was blocked by the Mansfield defence.
It was no surprise to see Matty Done replaced by Jon Newby at half time
but it was a surprise to see Josh Johnson switched to the left flank
with Mark Jones playing out on the right for the start of the second
half.
The change made no difference to the balance of play with Mansfield
continuing to dominate proceedings and the Stags almost made in 3-0 ten
minutes after the restart when Richard Barker was allowed a free header
from a corner that struck the cross bar and the rebound was headed wide.
In a rare Wrexham attack, Johnson fired over from twenty yards and this
proved to be his last action in the game with Matt Crowell replacing him
just after the hour mark. This meant another switch in formation for
Wrexham who played the remainder of the game 4-4-2 without any
recognisable wingers on the pitch!
Wrexham then allowed Hamshaw, who had terrorised them all afternoon from
the right wing, to run from inside his own half, beating three players,
until he reached the edge of the area, from where he forced Ingham into
a flying save that the Wrexham keeper tipped over the bar.
From the resulting corner, Mansfield again struck the woodwork when the
ball broke to Baptiste and he was unlucky to see his low shot strike the
base of the post courtesy of a crucial touch from Ingham.
A stretcher was then required for Dawson to leave the field following a
challenge by Mark Jones on the edge of the Wrexham area. The Wrexham
midfielder escaped without a caution but Wrexham did not escape, as
Mansfield got a well deserved third from the resulting free kick.
Wrexham’s wall blocked the original shot but when the ball rebounded to
Hamshaw, he picked out Hjelde with a superb chip forward and he chested
the ball into the patch of Reet who made no mistake from about ten yards
out. Wrexham had appealed for offside but it was Danny Williams who
played everyone on and the goal put the game beyond any doubt, if it
wasn’t already.
This was the cue for some of the 257 travelling Wrexham fans to leave
but they would have missed a fine Mark Jones free kick that was curled
around the wall with a lot of pace and had Muggleton well beaten but the
ball just cleared the crossbar.
A mistake from Craig Morgan allowed substitute Beardsley a clear run on
goal in stoppage time but a good save from Ingham prevented further
embarrassment for a well beaten Wrexham side.
There were some calls of 'Denis out' towards the end and he responded
with an ironic clap towards the Wrexham fans as the players left the
pitch at the end, where there was only applause for Michael Ingham who
prevented the score line from being a lot, lot, worse. |
Match Reaction |
Denis Smith: "I'm extremely disappointed and this is
not the kind of situation I have been used to in all my years as a manager.
We know we have problems and you could see from the fact that I tried three
different systems today that I'm willing to change things as we look for an
answer. It doesn't help when we defend like we did today! We came into the
match with a plan and for 20 minutes it looked like it was working. Then -
bang, someone goes and makes a silly mistake, which costs you. For their
second goal, you think no, he can't get in there from a boot up field. I've
got internationals playing back there, so there is no way they should be
scoring in those situations. If we tried that, then surely they would
defender better against us than we did. At half time I've told that we can
still get back into this and I've altered the system a little bit. Two-nil
doesn't mean we are out of it, but when they got the third we were
struggling. At the moment we don't look like a side that is going to pull
itself back into a match. Chris Llewellyn had that chance just before half
time and it might have made a difference if he had scored then. We have to
face the fact that we are not good enough at the moment and work on ways to
turn the situation around. I personally don't like changing systems too
often, but we are in a position where we have to make things happen."
[Source:
Wrexham FC - click here fore more]
Danny Williams: "We're just not good enough at the
moment. We are good enough to bounce back, though. We've got to be, but
playing like that we won't. We had problems at the back today and it was
just a comedy of errors really for all three goals. I've got to hold my
hands up and take the blame for the third one, as I didn't squeeze out.
I don't know why I didn't, I just didn't. I know some people thought he was
offside, but he wasn't as I played him on. I was trying to anticipate the
ball but there are no excuses, it was my fault.
[Source:
Wrexham FC - click here fore more] |
|
Wrexham |
Starting XI:
01 |
Michael Ingham |
02 |
Lee Roche
38' |
06 |
Craig Morgan |
05 |
Steve Evans |
03 |
Ryan Valentine |
17 |
Josh Johnson
63' |
08 |
Danny Williams |
07 |
Mark Jones |
10 |
Darren Ferguson |
20 |
Matty Done
45' |
11 |
Chris Llewellyn |
Subs:
12 |
Matt Crowell
63' |
13 |
Michael Jones (GK) |
15 |
Mike Williams
38' |
18 |
Jon Newby
45' |
21 |
Marc Williams |
Stats:
Shots on Goal: |
4 |
Shots on Target: |
0 |
Shots off Target: |
4 |
Possession: |
50% |
Fouls Conceded: |
9 |
Corners: |
3 |
Yellow Cards: |
0 |
Red Cards: |
0 |
|
Match Notes |
Venue |
Field Mill |
Attendance |
2,971 |
Half Time |
Mansfield Town 2 Wrexham 0 |
Referee |
Andy Penn (West Midlands) |
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